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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23482798">Strange Days at Camp Hawkins</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeruleanHeart/pseuds/CeruleanHeart'>CeruleanHeart</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stranger Things (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Bad Flirting, Banter, Billy Hargrove Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Camp Counselor Steve, Frottage, Humor, Lifeguard Billy Hargrove, M/M, Making Out, Mystery Solving Preteens, Nipple Play, Oblivious Steve Harrington, Rough Kissing, and, and a bit of</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:17:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,844</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23482798</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeruleanHeart/pseuds/CeruleanHeart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There's something strange going on at Camp Hawkins. Power outages keep happening, mysterious substances are delivered to the cafeteria kitchen and people go missing all the time.</p><p>Camp counselor Steve and his bunk suspect there's a killer in the camp and the new lifeguard is their prime suspect. But things are not always what they seem.</p><p><a href="https://trailerparkflower.tumblr.com/post/614665588875444224/lil-fanart-i-did-for-aeon-of-neon-fic-strange">Artwork</a> for this piece by SnowHime</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>406</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>harringrove for Australia</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Strange Days at Camp Hawkins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What is he doing?” Dustin whispers and tugs on the sleeve of Steve’s polo. He’s got that tone again, acts all conspiratorial like he always does when he’s talking about things he calls ‘classified intel’ “See anything suspicious?”</p><p>Steve squints through his binoculars. Down at the lake, a flock of children is splashing about in the water, enjoying some cool-down time in the midday heat. They’re noisy as hell, Steve can hear their laughter, squeals and screams all the way up the sandy slope where Dustin and he have parked themselves behind a row of bushes.</p><p>But the kids are not the objects of their secret observation. Steve pans over to the right until he sees the floating pier. It’s shaped in a U-form and separates the no-swimmers section from the rest of the waters. Right at the center of it, a lifeguard chair is mounted on top of one of the swimming platforms.</p><p>And throning on top of the chair, suntanned, beach blond and regally bored, is Billy Hargrove.</p><p>A frown crinkles Steve’s forehead as he studies him for a few seconds. Hargrove looks like he’s on holiday and not on lifeguard duty. Totally relaxed and slouched in his chair, one hand lazily playing with the whistle around his neck.</p><p>“He’s doing… nothing really. He’s just sitting there.” Steve shrugs and adjusts the sharpness of the lenses. Billy’s chest comes into focus, light bounces off the whistle between his fingers and surprisingly his pecs as well as he slides deeper into the seat spreading his legs wide. Tanning oil Steve suspects. “Looking like a douchebag.”</p><p>Next to him, Dustin groans, he belly-crawls closer and tugs on the string of the binoculars.</p><p>“Gimme these!” he demands “You’re not looking for the right clues.”

“There really are no clues to look for!” Steve insists because Billy hasn't done anything but look mildly spaced out for the last 10 minutes they've been taking turns watching him. And Steve has learned nothing, except maybe that he’s starting to get envious of those abs, from surveilling him. “He’s acting completely unsuspicious.”</p><p>“That’s what he wants you to think.” </p><p>Steve surrenders the binocular with a sigh as Dustin tugs harder. A twig gets caught in his hair when the kid shoves him aside to get a better view through a hole in one of the bushes.</p><p>“I bet he’s already planning his next kill.” Dustin mumbles under his breath, watching Billy intently.</p><p>Now, a root is digging into Steve’s stomach, he sits up and turns around, moves closer to the bush to find a more comfortable position, swats at a swarm of mosquitoes that’s buzzing around his ears. He’s kinda starting to hate nature.</p><p>“Become a counselor at Camp Hawkins!” the brochure had said. “Make this summer the summer of your life!” it had said. What it hadn’t said was that Steve would get signed up with a bunk full of mystery-solving preteens that got him in trouble on a weekly basis. Last Tuesday, Dustin had intercepted a Russian radio signal with a self-made antenna and almost caused a diplomatic incident. And that’s just the beginning, Steve is pretty sure that the silent girl he sees hanging out with Mike sometimes isn’t technically a camper. He’s got a suspicion who might have helped with smuggling her in but there’s no way he’s asking any questions. At this point, his motto is, the less he knows, the better.</p><p>Steve should be on break right now. He should be sneaking a smoke or hitching a ride into town with one of his fellow counselors. Bonding with people his own age, forging friendships that will last a lifetime. But no, somehow he let his bunk drag him into what they insist is a missing person case. Again. The other counselors only refer to him as “the babysitter”. </p><p>“Dustin, I don’t like his macho ass either, but I really don't think he's a killer. I really think you guys are making this up so you can skip activities.” Steve grumbles “Are you watching slasher movies instead of doing whatever the hell you’re supposed to be doing during your AV workshop hours?”</p><p>“Steve.” Dustin puts down the binoculars to give Steve a look of pure indignation “How dare you. This is serious, the last time anyone saw Heather was right before she got into his car with him. He’s our only lead in this case. People have gone <em>missing</em>.” </p><p>“Yeah, but maybe they were just going on a date. Billy has had about every girl from the team in his car and they’re still here. Heck, he’s the only one who’s got a car….</p><p>“... and his own room because technically the lifeguard is regular staff and not on the counselor team while you, poor Steve, got carted here in a bus and have to sleep with us peasants. I got it. You’ve been complaining about this since the beginning of summer.” Dustin rolls his eyes harder than necessary because really, Steve only complains <em>sometimes</em>, and continues, “But Heather’s been gone for almost a week. Trust me when I tell you, she’s dead.”</p><p>“Hey.” Steve makes a sour face and grabs the binoculars from Dustin's hands “Don’t talk to me like that, Henderson. I’m confiscating these.”</p><p>“I’m not done, Steve!!” Dustin has perfect reflexes when he wants to. He manages to snag the string just in time before it can slip away and tugs the binoculars towards him. “Let go!” </p><p>“That’s enough watching for today!” Steve insists, pulls harder on his end “This whole thing is a waste of time. You should go back to your activities and I should be manning the trampoline!”</p><p>Dustin makes a disgruntled noise.</p><p>“Fine!” he says and lets his finger unclench around the string “But this isn’t ov… Steve?!”</p><p>There's a second in which Steve thinks he can keep upright after losing his counterweight so suddenly, a second in which he’s balancing on his butt alone, legs up in the air kicking desperately. But then gravity takes him and he falls back first into the bush behind him and through it, tumbles down the slope in a flurry of limbs.</p><p>One moment he’s rolling through sand and grass and pine needles, the next he lands on the muddy little lake beach with an oomph. The humiliation hurts more than the fall as dust settles around him and the crowd in the lake explodes with laughter. To add insult to injury Steve now has pine needles everywhere, up his shirt, in his hair, his mouth. He can feel them prickle him from <em>inside</em> his shorts.</p><p>Steve scrambles to his knees with a long groan and sends a frown in Dustin's direction. But he’s just in time to see the kid gesticulate at something behind him before his curly head disappears behind the bushes again.</p><p>Confused and still dizzy from his fall he turns around only to meet a pair of steel-blue eyes that are fixating him from across the water. A grin spreads on Billy’s face, blinding, even from the distance as he lifts the whistle to his lips. He saw everything. Of course he did. Steve wishes the earth would open up and swallow him whole.</p><p>The shrill sound of the whistle cuts through the air, followed by a bellow of “Fifteen minutes break. Everyone get out of the water! Right now!”</p><p>There’s a chorus of moans and complaints coming from the children but they scramble to get out of the water when Billy follows with “Don’t make me come after you, or you’re all banned for life!”</p><p>Steve is still on his hands and knees when a stampede of children thunders past him. He cowers, shields his face and as much of his hair as he can from the sand they’re kicking up and the lake water their wet bodies sprinkle all over Steve’s back. </p><p>When he looks up again, Hargrove has climbed down from his chair and stands at the edge of the platform. He slowly raises his hands above his head, like the show-off that he is and then jumps.</p><p>Billy’s got perfect form, describes a beautiful arch in the air before he breaks the surface with his fingertips and glides into the water. His body is shimmering under the waves like a giant golden fish as he cuts through them on his way to the shore. </p><p>“He’s coming your way, run!” Steve can hear Dustin shout but he’s glued to the spot, watches as Billy surfaces again and wades through the shallow water towards him.</p><p>“How’s it going, amigo?” Billy drawls, sleazy smile still plastered on his face and not one bit out of breath, when he reaches Steve. ‘“Took quite the tumble, didn’t ya?”</p><p>His muscles are <em>glistening </em>in the sun, tiny sparkling droplets flying from his wet hair as he shakes it and then slicks it back to gaze at Steve from underneath water-clumped lashes. He’s gorgeous like the cover of a magazine, has everything a guy his age wishes he had to show and not a trace of awkward adolescence. He’s also a complete asshole about it, shoving it in Steve’s face at any given opportunity. </p><p>Steve, who's falling for it again, who’s staring again, and realizes it much too late because Billy’s expression turns from sleazy to smug. </p><p>“I slipped on my way down. Mind your own business.” he hurries to snap back at him, hostile. The last thing he needs right now is for Billy to get the wrong idea and think he finds him as attractive as everyone else, including Hargrove himself. </p><p>Billy the bastard, offers a hand to help him up. Conceited to the max. Steve doesn’t know why he takes it, he probably hit his head going down. He’s pulled to his feet with ease, almost stumbles into Hargrove, barely manages to hold himself upright and keep a distance with one hand on a greasy shoulder.</p><p>“Plant your feet next time.” Billy purrs into his ear, leaning close, smelling like Coppertone and lakewater and <em>summer</em>.</p><p>Steve feels dizzy again, staggers back a step as he nods.</p><p>“I’ll remember it. Amigo.” he says through clenched teeth.</p><p> </p><p>“So. What brings you to my lake? Came to take a dip, Harrington? It’s <em>adult </em>swim for the next fifteen minutes.” Billy follows, keeps the distance between them minimal, as he licks his lips.</p><p>“No, I… I was just looking for one of my kids.” Steve lies, quickly, badly, he realizes but he’s in too deep now so he continues. “Dustin. Dustin Henderson. Curly hair, no front teeth?”</p><p>“Haven’t seen him.” Billy shrugs, eyes Steve up in a way that makes him feel naked, even though he wears five times as many clothes as him “Why not? You don’t like swimming? Or are you allergic to the sun? </p><p>“What kind of question is that?”</p><p>“Just wonderin’ Harrington. I mean, we’ve been here for four weeks but somehow you’ve managed to avoid even the slightest hint of a tan.”</p><p>There it is again, that awful bragging. Because of course, Billy’s tan is flawless, seems to extend even past the waistband of his swim shorts. Steve doesn’t even want to think about how he achieved that.</p><p>“I… I don’t tan well?” he’s thrown for a loop, remembers too late that he doesn’t <em>have </em>to explain anything to Hargrove.</p><p>“No shit.” Billy reaches into Steve’s space, runs a finger down the side of his arm and adds with a strange kind of wonder in his voice, “You’re so pale.”</p><p>“What’s it to you, anyway?” Steve bites out and yanks his arm away from Hargrove’s touch. It gives him shivers, makes the fine hair on the back of his arm stand up.</p><p>“Well, I’m going out with the motorboat later. Why don’t you join me, catch some rays?”</p><p>“I…” he starts, unsure of what to say because Billy’s eyes are so <em>blue </em>but also so condescending as they look at him, waiting for a reply.</p><p>It’s an awful predicament. If he says yes, then he’s gonna validate Hargrove’s monstrous ego and if he says no, then he’s definitely going to regret missing out on this opportunity and look like a total bummer on top.</p><p>Steve’s brain still desperately fumbles for words as it tries to make up an excuse, when suddenly and mercifully the walkie talkie in the back pocket of his shorts crackles to life.</p><p>“Guys? We need you at the backside of the cafeteria. It’s an emergency.” Lucas' voice sounds through. ”Do you copy?”</p><p>Steve sends a silent thank you to the heavens.</p><p>“Sorry, I gotta go.” he bats his lashes at Billy because he’s above saying ‘fuck you’ and adds “I’m needed somewhere important. Maybe next time.”</p><p>“Sure, Harrington.” Billy grins “See you around.” </p><p>Steve isn’t running away, he’s just in a hurry. That’s why he’s jogging on his way back into camp and working up a sweat within the first five steps. It’s that damn midwestern humidity that makes him feel so hot under his collar and his polo stick to his skin. That’s all.</p><p>The counselors all have to wear the same piss-yellow shirts made of too thick material with the camp mascot, a manically grinning beaver, embroidered on the chest. The stitchery is thick and stiff, scratchy on the inside of his shirt, chafing Steve's left nipple as he runs. Maybe Billy’s got something figured out that Steve hasn’t when he refuses to put on his lifeguard top. For some reason the thought makes him feel even hotter. </p><p>Steve weaves his way past flocks of kids that pass him, laughing and shouting as they zip back and forth between activities. He takes the shortcut via the camp square, almost collides with a group of campers and counselors that is in the middle of setting up the big screen and the projector for their weekly open-air movie night tonight.</p><p>Dustin catches up with him mid-way, huffing and puffing, already out of breath from trying to keep up with Steve’s considerably longer legs.</p><p>“What were you talking about with Billy?” is the first thing he wants to know.</p><p>“He asked if I wanted to go on the motorboat with him.” Steve's face feels like it’s burning. He should get a nice cold drink to cool down.</p><p>“Oh my god!” Dustin wheezes “He wanted to get you alone!! He was probably planning to kill you too.”</p><p>Steve slows down, thinking, frowning. Maybe Dustin has a point. He casts a side glance at him. The kid looks more than grateful for the short rest, holding his side and catching his breath, while the wheels in Steves’s head are turning.</p><p>“He kind of did make a creepy remark about my skin.” he says slowly, “Said how pale I was and got all handsy.”</p><p>“I knew it!! We have to stop him, Steve! We have to tell the others!” Dustin gasps, wide-eyed and absolutely delighted.</p><p>“Uhm, actually, we’re already on our way to meet them. Lucas radioed me a couple of minutes ago, saying they had an emergency. Sorry, I forgot I had the walkie talkie and not you.”</p><p>“You forgot...?! Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up, Steve!” Dustin shouts and breaks into a run.</p><p>This time it’s Steve who can hardly keep up.</p><p>When he finally finds the rest of his bunk, they’re assembled by the dumpsters behind the cafeteria, pressed against the wall and taking turns snooping around the corner. Steve wishes he could say it was an unusual sight but at this point, he didn’t expect anything else.</p><p>Dustin is already there when he arrives, waiting for his turn to take a look. </p><p>“What’s your emergency, guys?” Steve calls when he’s within earshot, slowing down into an easy trot. As far as he can tell they all look perfectly fine, at least nobody is hurt. </p><p>But instead of giving him a reply, the entire group of kids turns around simultaneously to shush him, their small faces flushed and furious.</p><p>“Steve!!” Mike hisses “Be quiet! You’re blowing our cover!”</p><p>“They could hear us!” Lucas says, voice low and index fingers pressed to his lips.</p><p>“Who could hear us? What’s going on?!” Steve whisper-shouts as he joins them by the wall.</p><p>“Just, see for yourself!” Dustin shuffles aside and offers Steve his spot to take a look around their corner.</p><p>The camp kitchen is a busy place any time of the day but right now there’s a group of grim-looking men marching in and out the double swinging doors. They’re unloading crates full of clear tubes filled with something that looks like green jello, only ten times more menacing, off a windowless van. </p><p>“What the hell is that?” Steve frowns and leans forward to get a better look. </p><p>“Watch out! They’ll see you!” a voice hisses behind him and a small hand shoots forward to drag him back by the collar. </p><p>The next second, Steve is the tallest part of a circle of bodies, closely huddled together and whispering.</p><p>“We have no idea, man.” Dustin hushes. “But have you seen those guys? They look like military. There’s something fishy going on. For sure.”</p><p>The other kids nod, mumble in agreement.
</p><p>“First, those power outages that keep happening? Then, people start disappearing? And now, <em>this</em>?” Mike says, face dark. “It’s giving me the creeps.”</p><p>
“Something is definitely wrong in this camp.” Will agrees, he shudders, rubs his arms like he’s cold “I can feel it.”</p><p>“So what are we gonna do, get the authorities involved?” Lucas searches the faces around them for an answer but there’s indecisive silence.</p><p>“I mean…”Steve says after a minute or so “We could just sneak into the kitchen and check out what’s in these crates. If that’s what it takes to get you to drop this and go back to your activities.” </p><p>“No way!” Dustin shakes his head “The kitchen is full of people right now, they’d catch us immediately. Who knows what’d they do to us?”</p><p>“Probably send you home.“ Steve shrugs ”That’s why we would be <em>sneaking</em>.”

</p><p>“Hey, dingus! I’ve got a way better idea. Why don’t you sneak your way over to the trampoline instead?” a sarcastic voice suddenly sounds from behind Steve and startles their small group.</p><p>Steve turns around, slowly, guiltily, to face Robin, his fellow counselor who’s got her hands on her hips, tapping one foot, looking beyond annoyed.</p><p>“I’ve been looking for you all over camp.” she says and interrupts Steve the second he opens his mouth to apologize to continue. “This is the third time this week you’ve ditched your responsibilities to play detective with your bunk.” </p><p>"You told her about our investigations?!" Mike squeals and points an accusing finger at Steve "You were supposed to keep it a secret! You're endangering our whole mission!" </p><p>“Hey!” Steve lifts his hands in defense “I didn’t say a word.”</p><p>"At least he tried. But he's not really good at keeping secrets. And you guys aren’t acting particularly unsuspicious” Robin laughs “Besides, I'm bored and Steve keeps ditching work all the time to play your games with you The least you could do is let me join the fun, you know.”</p><p>“Games?! Are you kidding? This isn't fun, it's dead serious!” Mike is working himself into a hissy fit before Steve even has the chance to get another word out.</p><p>"Well." Robin just shrugs "Gimme the full story then!" </p><p>There's a moment of suspicious glances, silence and a lot of squirming as the group tries to figure out whether they can deem Robin trustworthy or not. Meanwhile, Steve finds a log to sit on and sighs.</p><p>“Come on, tell her then. Get it over with.” he finally says, at least with Robin on board he won’t have to wreck his brain to come up with excuses anymore that she obviously never bought anyway.</p><p>“Guess it can’t harm…” Dustin starts but he doesn’t get much further than that because suddenly, everyone is talking at the same time. </p><p>For the next ten minutes, Steve’s entire bunk is busy with dumping every single one of their theories on Robin. Every now and then she sends Steve a perplexed look over their heads but he just shrugs, makes a gesture that says “That's what you get from asking.”</p><p>She only managed to stop them when Dustin starts explaining why he thinks Billy plans to murder Steve.</p><p>“Wait. Wait a second. Billy Hargrove is your serial killer? The Billy Hargrove?” she asks, eyes wide and blinking rapidly in disbelief.</p><p>“Didn’t you listen to what I just told you? He tried to lure him away! And what did he say about your skin again, Steve?”</p><p>“He, uh. He said something about me being too pale. But he’s always talking shit about something. I mean… he’s been up my ass all summer long. I think he just can’t stand me.” Steve gives Robin an apologetic look because he already spent hours venting to her about Billy whenever they’re together “He’s just a bully. Remember that basketball game from the other day? It was supposed to be a <em>friendly </em>game? Counselors vs. staff? But he got all competitive and knocked me around the court like he was trying to win a championship or something.”</p><p>“Oh.” Robin says brow raised, a tiny smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “I remember. That was quite a show. And you say today he wanted to take you out on the boat?”</p><p>“Uhm yeah. That’s what it looked like unless he was trying to pull my leg!” Steve kneads his fingers, oddly embarrassed to be talking about his earlier encounter with Hargrove. It feels… private for some reason.</p><p>“No way!” Dustin chimes in again “He’s got a motive and everything!”</p><p>“Hmmm.” Robin tilts her head and squints at Steve, gives him a measuring once-over “You know what? I think Dustin is right. Even if it’s not murder I think Billy is up to something and you should absolutely investigate Steve.”</p><p>“Wait? You really think so?” Steve blinks at her, surprised. </p><p>Robin is a down to earth, rational person and admittedly ways smarter than him. If even she thinks there’s something fishy about the whole situation, then there must be something to it. Not that Steve doesn’t believe in Dustin's or the rest of his bunk’s deduction skills but they definitely have a tendency to get carried away. So.</p><p>“Yes! Absolutely.” Robin nods, all serious “You know what I think you should do? I think you should sneak into his room during the movie tonight and look for evidence. It’s the perfect opportunity.”</p><p>There’s a collective “Ooooh!” coming from the kids.</p><p>“That’s a genius idea! We’ll either be able to clear his name or convict him of murder.”  Dustin rubs his hands “We’ll do it when everyone is distracted and…”</p><p>“No not you, Dustin. Campers aren't allowed in the staff quarters, remember? We don’t want you to get in trouble and get sent home. It has to be Steve. Alone.”</p><p>“But Steve…”</p><p>“No, I could totally do it! I’m stealthy! Like a ninja.” Steve interrupts him and stands up, puts his hands on his hips “I’m not gonna let any of you shitbirds get into trouble again. Do you understand?”</p><p>There’s some collective complaining and grumbling but Steve remains adamant, if nothing else at least he proves that he’s not a complete pushover tonight. And honestly, going through Hargrove’s stuff will be way more exciting than watching “The Sound of Music” for the millionth time. If anything goes wrong, well, other bunks get into prank wars and do panty raids. Steve’s kids’ plans for tonight are actually going to look pretty normal to an outsider, nothing but some regular summer camp mischief. At least compared to what they’re usually up to.</p><p>This is fine, he tells himself, it’s going to be fine and when this is over they can finally go back to usual business.</p><p>A few hours later Steve finds himself crouching underneath a window, chancing a peek inside every now and then, like a creep. So maybe it’s a bit less fine than expected. But only because Hargrove is taking forever to get ready. It’s really <em>his </em>fault that Steve’s squatting in the dirt while his left leg is starting to fall asleep. Nobody else’s.</p><p>He risks another glance over the windowsill. Inside, heavy metal is blaring from a boombox while Billy flirts with his reflection in the mirror. Steve can't help himself but roll his eyes at that. Hargrove’s routine is ridiculous, way inferior to Steve’s. He’s watched the guy spray Aquanet on his dry hair like he doesn’t even know that it needs to be moist and the product should be kneaded in to make those curls bounce. If Steve had hair like that he’d opt for a mousse.</p><p>He’s so close to giving up on their plan. So damn close to coming out of hiding and fixing that rat’s nest on Hargrove’s head just so he can find peace again when finally Billy finishes up and the lights inside go out.</p><p>There are footsteps moving towards the door and Steve has just enough time to retreat deeper into the shadows before Billy emerges in a cloud of hairspray and cologne. He’s in jeans and a dark burgundy pearl snap, unbuttoned of course, chest on display, sleeves too tight around his biceps. The outfit is kinda trashy but Billy makes it work for him with that extra confidence of someone who knows he’s going to get laid tonight. </p><p>Steve wishes he could share that prospect but he’s stuck watching with warm cheeks as Billy taps a cigarette from a soft pack of Marlboro Reds and lights up. The mixture of smoke and Eau de Hargrove wafting in his direction makes his eyes water and he barely manages to stifle a cough. Judging by the look of determination on Billy’s face, he’s maybe got a bit less than an hour until Hargrove is fed up with pretending he’s interested in watching the Trapp family escape the Nazis and brings whoever his date for the night is back here.</p><p>It should be enough, he thinks, as he watches Billy saunters off into the dark, heading for the camp square. </p><p>“Suspect has left his room.” he reports into his walkie talkie after he’s sure that Billy is gone and won’t come back.</p><p>“Visual contact with suspect confirmed.” Mike’s staticy voice replies not a second later. He’s stationed by the camp square and on look-out duty with Will, while Robin, Lucas and Dustin are investigating the cafeteria kitchen “Dustin, is your team in position?”</p><p>There’s a short pause before Dustin radios back.</p><p>“In position and ready to go!”</p><p>“All right! Team red? Steve? You can proceed now. We’ll warn you if anyone comes your way.”</p><p>“Roger!” Dustin shouts happily and then the walkie talkie goes silent again. </p><p>Steve groans, muscles and joints stiff and adventure spirit gone as he unfolds himself from his crouching position after what feels like hours. He wobbles on his feet, his left leg has gone completely numb by now, a lifeless appendage that he can hardly put any weight on. Cursing under his breath he sets down his walkie talkie on the windowsill, he needs both hands to knead some life back into his leg.</p><p>It’s still tingling with pins and needles when he limps around the corner and towards Billy’s door.</p><p>Breaking into the room proves easy. Camp Hawkins was built in the 50s when people still trusted each other. All Steve needs to do is to slide the blade of his Swiss Army knife between the lock and the frame of the door and wiggle it around a bit before it clicks open. </p><p>He unhooks his flashlight from his belt and shines it inside. Billy’s room is dark and silent now that all the light and noise and his overwhelming presence are gone. A secret, private little world, fallen into slumber.</p><p>Steve casts one last nervous glance over his shoulder before he steps past the threshold. It’s pretty cramped inside, the bed, a built-in closet, a nightstand, and a small dresser taking up most of the space.</p><p>Slowly, Steve lets the beam of his flashlight travel around the room, accompanied by the faint sounds of the movie starting down at the camp square drifting in from outside. It’s a total mess, the bed is unmade, there are some pieces of dirty laundry scattered haphazardly across it and piled up in one corner of the room, a couple of empty beer cans are lying around and an overflowing ashtray sits by the window. It slightly smells of unwashed socks and teenage sweat.</p><p>Nose wrinkled in disgust Steve picks up a few shirts and goes through the closet searching for any type of hint. But he comes up empty. A look under the bed only shows an empty duffle bag and a small set of weights. No bloodstained shirts, no weapons, no items that look like they could belong to Heather. The whole mission is a total dud.</p><p>All that’s left to look at now is the dresser and Steve honestly doesn’t have high hopes of finding anything interesting there either, except maybe for the unholy amount of tapes and hair products that are littering the top of it.</p><p>As expected, the first drawer he pulls out only has some personal knick-knacks stuffed inside of it. Most notably there’s a dog-eared Penthouse magazine and an issue of Motor Trend, a box of condoms and a bottle of lube.</p><p>“Nice.” Steve mutters sarcastically under his breath, it’s not like he needed the fact that Billy fucks spelled out to him like that “Real nice.”</p><p>The next drawer, however, holds a surprise because it’s filled with paperbacks and letters, neatly stowed away like a secret. Perplexed, because Steve took Hargrove for pretty much everything <em>except </em>a reader, he picks up one of the books and looks at the cover. It shows some kind of video game-like image with the word “Neuromancer” written across it in a very sci-fi type of font and looks exactly like the kind of stuff his bunk would read. Weird.</p><p>Steve shrugs and is about to put the book back where he found it when something falls out from between the pages and flutters to the ground. </p><p>It’s a photograph, Steve realizes when he picks it up, showing a young boy and a beautiful woman with long blonde hair, sitting in the sand of a beach somewhere, hugging each other. The faces on it are pale in the beam of his flashlight but he instantly recognizes the boy as Billy, face rounder, curls shorter and wilder but eyes as blue and lashes as dark as they are today. He’s smiling. He’s smiling so brilliantly and so genuinely that it makes Steves’s heart flutter. </p><p>He plops down on the end of the bed, knees gone weak.</p><p>Intrigued, he studies the picture, while the music of the movie sounding through the camp starts swelling, building up to a crescendo -</p><p>and then is cut off abruptly. </p><p>The sudden silence snaps Steve out of his trance, he sets the picture down, confused, and looks out the window. Outside, it's pitch black now, all the lamps on the campgrounds snuffed out at once. Instead of music, noise is arising. It starts with occasional whistling and then grows into a choir of boos. </p><p>It takes a minute or two before Steve realizes what happened. Power outage. His stomach drops, no power means no movie, no movie means…. </p><p>The door flies open with a bang and Steve nearly jumps off the bed. </p><p>Billy freezes mid-move in the doorway when he sees him and for a second they stare at each other in the dim light of the torch before a nasty grin splits Hargrove’s face. Steve stands, hands raised, dropping his flashlight in the process. It rolls under the bed, illuminates the room from underneath it with a ghostly glow. He thinks about the walkie talkie, forgotten and far out of reach on the windowsill outside. Shit.</p><p>“Am I dreaming or is that you, Harrington?" Billy’s voice is low in the dark, laced with amusement as he steps inside</p><p>The door behind him falls shut. Steve can’t see Billy turn the lock but he hears the distinctive little snap as it slides into place. He swallows hard, blood rushing in his ear and heart galloping in his chest. The room is so small that two steps into it Billy is already blocking the way to the exit and the window. There's no escape. Steve is trapped. </p><p>“Yeah it's me." he says, doesn't know what to do with his hands. He crosses them, defensive, panic rising but trying to act cool, like this is normal, like he didn't just get caught breaking and entering by a potential killer "Don't cream your pants”</p><p>Billy scoffs out a laugh, shakes his head. </p><p>"Then tell me, amigo.” he purrs just when the lights outside flicker on again and the crowd cheers as the movie continues. Steve can see Billy’s face more clearly now, looking absolutely delighted. Oh God, he’s going to die. “What are you doing here, in my <em>bed</em>?". </p><p>Steve blinks, confused.</p><p>"Listen man…" he starts but Billy doesn't let him finish.</p><p>He charges, shoves Steve in the chest so hard, it knocks him over and he lands on the mattress, bouncing and springs creaking up a concert. The impact pushes all the wind from his lungs, he's wheezing, flailing, getting entangled in the loose sheets. Before he can recover, Billy is on top of him, straddling his hips with his full weight and pushing him down.</p><p>“Wait!” Steve gasps, as a hand twists into his hair and pulls his head back, exposes his throat “Billy, I…!”</p><p>But Billy is relentless, grabs his face with the other hand, thumb digging into the soft meat underneath his jaw to keep him still. </p><p>“Been waiting all summer, pretty boy." he snarls, white teeth and sharp smile gleaming in the dark "Finally, I'm getting my hands on you.”</p><p>Steve opens his mouth to scream for help, already sees his life flashing before his eyes as Billy swoops down on him. But the sound is swallowed before it can leave his throat when Billy seals his lips with a kiss.</p><p>Steve’s body, his brain, time itself freeze. He just lies there, overwhelmed by the feeling of Billy’s mouth on his, hot and wanting, Billy’s hand in his hair, nails softly scraping his scalp, Billy’s thigh between his legs, heavy and warm pressing against his crotch.</p><p><em>Oh</em>, he thinks as he goes from fear to confusion to arousal so fast it makes him dizzy and his body tingle from head to toe. And then again as Billy licks past his teeth and tangles their tongues, kisses him deeply. <em>OH. </em></p><p>He shivers and a little whine escapes him as Billy’s solid body shifts above him and presses him deeper into the mattress. Only when the other boy grows bolder, let’s one hand slip under his shirt does he realize that he’s kissing back, mind gone hazy and the world around him spinning, both hands holding on to Billy’s upper arms to ground him. </p><p>God, he’s making out with Billy Hargrove. Billy Hargrove who’s been teasing him all summer, who’s now making him squirm and harden in his pants as his calloused thumb rubs little circles over Steve’s nipple. Nothing makes sense anymore.</p><p>He breaks the kiss, gulping for air, hot and desperate, flushed and panting.</p><p>“Stop!” he gasps “Billy, stop.”</p><p>Billy pulls back to look at him with a quizzical expression.</p><p>“Going too fast?” he asks, smoothes Steve's hair back and carefully picks up a stray lock to put it behind his ear “Sorry I got carried away. Fuck, you have no idea how much I’ve wanted you. Thought you’d never come around.”</p><p>Steve blinks up at him in astonishment.</p><p>“You wanted me?”</p><p>“Don’t act coy now, Harrington! Shit, as if you don’t know what you’re doing to me.” Billy laughs, presses another kiss to Steve’s lips and grinds his hips down, makes him feel his hardness through his pants. A soft moan spills from Steve’s mouth before he can hold it back. “I’ve never had to try that hard with someone in my life. You’re really something else, Harrington.”</p><p>“What about…” Steve's mind is spinning, barely able to form a coherent thought except, <em>please don’t stop</em> “What about Heather?”</p><p>“Fuck Heather. She can find someone else.” Billy growls, lets his teeth graze along Steve’s jawline and nibs at his throat. “You’re with me now.”</p><p>That’s not, that’s not right. Somehow they totally got their wires crossed but Steve has a real hard time focusing on finding out where exactly, when Billy’s in the middle of sucking a hickey into his neck.</p><p>“She’s not dead?” he manages to ask, as he pulls at Hargrove’s hair in a useless effort to stop him from marking him up. He can already feel the tell-tale sting of a bruise on his skin. </p><p>Billy snorts, moves on to rucking up Steve’s shirt instead, exposing his chest.</p><p>“It’s just food poisoning, Harrington. Don’t be dramatic. I took her to the hospital where they're taking care of her, alright? You satisfied now?” he sucks Steve’s left nipple into his mouth and pulls off again with a pop “Can we move on to more interesting things now?”</p><p>Steve just lies there and stares at Billy as the puzzle pieces come together. Spit-wet nipple and throbbing erection almost forgotten. Jesus, everything makes sense now.</p><p>“Oh my god!“ he breathes “Food poisoning. Is that what happened to the other people as well?”</p><p>Billy groans, frustrated.</p><p>“Seriously? You wanna discuss this <em>now, </em>Harrington?“</p><p>“You don’t get it, Hargrove! I really need answers!” Steve’s got his hands on Billy’s shoulders now, shaking him, eyes wide and close to frantic.</p><p>“Alright, chill!” Billy rolls off him with a sigh and settles at Steve’s side, chin resting in one hand, before he starts explaining ”So, obviously camp management isn’t exactly keen on a bunch of parents finding out about their hygiene and food safety problems in the kitchen. And if it gets out that people got sick they can close up the camp for the rest of the summer, right? That’s why they told staff not to pass it down the ranks. But I heard they’ve hired some company to do a chemical counterstrike tonight. They’re gonna smoke out the whole roach-infested shithole while everyone’s at that dumb movie. Problem solved, all goes back to business as usual and precious Heather should be back in a day or two.”</p><p>“They’re doing what?!” the last part hits Steve like a sledgehammer and he’s already half out of the bed and going for the door within a second “I have to warn Robin and the kids!” </p><p>“Steve!” Billy laughs again, grabs him by the belt before he can escape and pulls him back onto the bed. “Robin knows! They’re fine. I met her in the camp square a couple of minutes ago. Actually, she’s the one who tipped me off about a certain intruder in my room. Don't worry, pretty boy. She can babysit your bunk for one night. Come here.” </p><p>Speechless, Steve follows and crawls back onto the bed. He sits there, fidgeting awkwardly for a moment, face going hotter with every second he spends looking at Billy. Robin <em>knew</em>. She knew everything all this time and she totally set Steve up. She set him up because Steve is an idiot and he didn’t get that Billy liked him. It’s been four weeks and he simply didn’t get it. A part of him wants to fucking <em>die</em>.</p><p>“This is all pretty… uhm.” he stammers, doesn’t know what to say because he certainly isn’t going to confess that he took Billy for a serial killer right now “It’s all pretty unexpected.”</p><p>“Hey. It’s okay. We can take it slow.” Billy smiles, gently takes his face in both hands and kisses him again. It's so sweet and soft, Steve melts a little and all his anxiety and embarrassment drains away. “But I’m not letting you get away again, bambi. You understand that?”</p><p>Steve is honestly not even sure if he wants to get away again because if this is what Billy is like when he’s not trying to impress him, he might actually like him. A lot.</p><p>“Say…” he says and bites his lip “Are you taking out the motorboat again tomorrow?”</p><p>“Why?” Billy cocks his head, eyes glittering and a mischievous little smile tugging on his lips “Are you asking me for a date?”</p><p>“No.” Steve sticks out his tongue “I’m just trying to catch some rays.”</p><p>Billy blinks at him for a second and then he laughs. </p><p>He laughs and laughs until he’s holding his side and only stops when Steve crawls on top of him and starts kissing him silly. And after that, they spend the rest of the night solving mysteries of a completely different nature.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Phew! Finally I'm done with my H4A piece for the lovely and generous person who'd prefer to remain anonymous. I really, really hope you enjoy it!</p><p>And make sure you don't miss out on the beautiful <a href="https://trailerparkflower.tumblr.com/post/614665588875444224/lil-fanart-i-did-for-aeon-of-neon-fic-strange">piece of art</a> for this piece by SnowHime. </p><p>This was a bit of a challenge because I've never been to a summer camp myself and I only know them from kid's and teen movies. But I hope I got the vibe right! XD</p><p>As always, thanks for reading! Right now, ao3 can't count the hits from logged out users and guests due to increased site traffic so it would be extra terrific if you could leave me a kudos or a comment!</p><p>You can find me on <a href="https://aeon-of-neon.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a> and I also  made a brand new <a href="https://twitter.com/aeon_of_neon"> fandom twitter </a> for updates and previews and occasional art! (please follow me twitter scares me and I'm lonely lol)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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